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Mako 1xAAA: the most important flashlight i've ever owned

i live off-the-grid in the wilderness and have been a flashaholic all my life.

while i enjoy trying out the newest-brightest 'lights, i've come to discover that the most important lights i own are the ones i carry everyday 24/7 (EDC), particularly those that are as reliable as humanly possible.

having purchased hundreds of tiny lights, the finest light i've found for my use is the Mako, custom-made by longtime CPF member Endeavour (aka: Enrique).

its a basic low-power 1xAAA "key-chain" light, much like its predecessor, Gransee's original Arc AAA. its also much like its contemporary, McGizmo's Sapphire.

as the maker put it: "The design objectives were to create a small, unobtrusive torch that ran for a very long time on a common AAA cell, in a durable package, with some compelling features at an affordable price point."

of course, it sure can't compete with the high output or number of settings available in lights like the LF2XT, Illumina Ti, Maratac, iTP, et al.

super efficient electronics/LED for extreme run time (80 hours on a lithium)

option of a tritium vial

lack of breakable glass "cover" lens

ability to tail-stand

two-level output with lots of twist between them

ultra-light weight for a titanium light

long threads requiring over two full turns before engaging the contact (to keep from losing the head)

reasonably white beam (not a blue-yellow amalgamated beam)

very smooth threads

one-handed operation

many other lights have one or more of these features, but in my mind none come close in terms of total functionality and reliability.

i own a few of Makos. one to EDC in my pocket, another in my survival BOB, one next to my bed for navigating the house at night, and others for back-ups.

some Mako owners were disappointed with the 15-degree off-center ringy beam, a result of the designer's demand for water resistance. i agree: it not pretty when wall hunting... but for a survival light that's not a huge concern. still, a nicer beam would be wonderful, making the Mako just about perfect for me.

at some point i heard about the "Mako 60", a rare 60-degree smooth-beam flood version. after years of searching, last week i finally located one through a fellow CPF'er. scout24 was kind enough to sell me his.

turning it on for the first time i was stunned and amazed. this floody Mako is THE answer i've been looking for most of my adult life (i'm 58 yrs old).

Mako "60" Flood on left --- standard Mako on right

(my photo)

of course, one "Mako Flood" isn't enough for me. sadly, research indicates that only a handful were made and the likelihood of buying another is next to nill.

so why brag on something we can't buy?

because i recently learned that the maker is still into producing custom hand-made lights!

if i can twist Enrique's arm by convincing him that there's a big enough market to do another run of them, who out there would be willing to pony up as much as $150 to own a new Mako Flood, "the world's greatest back-up light"?

Early 2014 news: on Feb 20th, 2014, an additional limited run of 22 Mako Floods as announced
More info on page 8 of this thread, or click HERE to go there now.

===

Mid-year 2014 news: yet another very limited run was produced, called the Mako MK II

the run was of approx 50 units, in three versions of the Mako Mk. II:

High Output (HO)
This is a 21-lumen output flood light, with much higher brightness and spacing between modes than the previous model, which was around 10 lumens. I’m very excited about the performance characteristics of this light.

Ultraviolet (UV)
This is a regular output Mako equipped with a UV LED with a nominal wavelength of 375 nanometers. Useful for finding things that fluoresce, curing adhesives, activating glow phosphors, finding scorpions, etc.

Regular Output (RO)
This is essentially a “6/30” Mako flood, with updated styling.

delivery began on Aug 25th and they are wonderful. i'm now carrying the Mako MK II HO as my EDC light. best of the best.

===

Fall 2014 news: a small run of a new version using a single AA battery is in the works. it will be called the Spinner

enrique describes it this way:

"...I've also started work on and will be putting up for pre-order this week a new light called the Spinner. It's essentially a AA version of the Mako, with similar design and named after the Spinner Shark, in keeping with the shark-based naming of the Mako.

The benefits from a AA include longer runtimes, and the ability to drive the light a bit harder than using the AAA as a power plant. This means that with a lithium or eneloop cell in the light, you can toss it in a bag, along with a spare cell, and you'll have days and days of light. If you need more output, the high mode allows you a small brightness edge over the AAA while still providing decent runtime as well. As with the Mako, it will be made from 6AL4V titanium, feature two stages, and nice, white, high output 5mm LEDs. This will be a fairly limited run based on the number of pre-orders placed, with few extra pieces being made. Cost will be $225."

===UPDATE: May 2015

just received my 1xAA Spinner. stunning. as nice as the mako Mark II HO, only bigger. i see it as a mako on steroids. i couldn't be happier.

will carry the mako 24/7 in my front pocket and always have the spinner in my daybag

doesn't get any better than this

thank you enrique!!!!!!

Last edited by coyote; 05-23-2015 at 10:46 AM.
Reason: info/link added about new production series

Re: Mako 1xAAA: the most important flashlight i've ever owned

I hear you coyote! I'm experiencing a back to basics trend in my light journey and the Mako and Don's Sapphire are seeing more and more use.

Just gotta remember to put the battery in the Mako the right way!

nice to know i have a brother in the search.

not sure what you mean about the "right way". the Mako loads the battery like most lights: neg contact down into the body, and pos contact on the head. are you're thinking of another light or do you mean something else?

Re: Mako 1xAAA: the most important flashlight i've ever owned

Sounds interesting, I'd need more information on how it compares with the current Saphire. What LED is in the 60deg. version? The beam looks nice in the picture. I think the problem was that at the time AAA lights started appearing from everywhere and the EZ-AA had similar interface even though it was not as small. The price on the Maratac was just TOO good to ignore. The AAA Preon Revo SS would be a really decent light with the right LED. The styling of the Mako is something that maybe others, like me, don't find particularly attractive. I'd like his Ti Aeon, but the price premium over the Aluminum seems much too high for such a small light, and there is a premium for a neutral tint. Price is the only thing keeping me away from that one. Maybe on a special day I'll get one. He lives in an expensive locale to manufacture and I suspect has requirements for higher margins. I'm wondering if he could even produce these in titanium for $150, if he could with the right led he might be able to expect sales in the same numbers as the Saphire, maybe some what more as the beam looks much nicer. Currently there is also the DQG which seems to be getting some attention. I'm looking for the perfect keychain light, until I find it my LD01-SS is working out well enough. If this thread grows, start a poll, or add a poll to the thread.

Re: Mako 1xAAA: the most important flashlight i've ever owned

StandardBattery: i too have had 'em all. (note my avatar with Millermods, Mako, Fenix E05 and DQG Tiny, just a very small sampling of what i'm comparing the Mako with).

where the Mako shines is in reliability and toughness. i'm more than happy to pay a premium price for a high-quality tool i might have to depend on to save my life. on the other hand, i like many of the less-reliable lights too. i even have a new Tiny II coming, but it (and the others you named) are for less important tasks....

you asked: "What LED is in the 60deg. version?" - Makos were the first flashlight to use these particular 24K mcd 5mm Cree LED. to the best of my knowledge, the only difference between the the two Makos was the angle of throw, 15 degrees vs 60 degrees.

[edit: i just learned the LED that was later used in the Sapphire was a 3mm Nichia LED, not a Cree]

===

everyone: here's a scan of the spec sheet that came with the original Mako. hope it can answer some of your questions:

and because it just seems natural to compare the Mako to the Sapphire and Arc, here's a photo of them side-by-side:

Re: Mako 1xAAA: the most important flashlight i've ever owned

My 2 cents:
- Being a twisty, I doubt it would be easy or convenient to use it one handedly
- Being a survival light, lacking knurling on the body is a major setback. Just imagine when your hands are wet, greasy, or ... bloody or sometime you may even have to grab the light with your ... feet, for example.

Re: Mako 1xAAA: the most important flashlight i've ever owned

Originally Posted by coyote

if i can twist Enrique's arm by convincing him that there's a big enough market to do another run of them, who out there would be willing to pony up as much as $150 to own a new Mako Flood, "the world's greatest back-up light"?

Coyote. IF you can convince him to make them, I'm definitely in for one!

Re: Mako 1xAAA: the most important flashlight i've ever owned

Originally Posted by NickBose

My 2 cents:
- Being a twisty, I doubt it would be easy or convenient to use it one handedly
- Being a survival light, lacking knurling on the body is a major setback. Just imagine when your hands are wet, greasy, or ... bloody or sometime you may even have to grab the light with your ... feet, for example.

Mako has a matte finish, and the threads are super-smooth, so twisting is not at all an issue using it single-handed. Actually, I was surprised at how well the threads have been machined - the Arc-Ti I own has square threads, and is a beast to twist - after so many twists, it still is difficult to turn single-handed.

Re: Mako 1xAAA: the most important flashlight i've ever owned

The Mako is fantastic gem, and second to none. There are only two lights that appeal me the most, and Mako is one of them (the second - okay - you could guess it - is the Arc AAA).

There are more modern, multi-level, different looking, power-led based lights, but in a survival mode, I am doubtful if any of these will work as they are designed to, and they haven't yet had enough lifetime to prove this as well. The more complex the light gets, the more difficult it is in a survival mode. Their varying sizes also make it difficult to have them on you when required. In a nutshell, I don't consider any of the modern lights to be "survival lights", since at least one factor is almost always missing - reliability and availability (lights missing both are not worthy of *any* discussion).

In the world of modern lights, I miss reliability the most, so I am in for a Mako (or similar light run). Thanks coyote for stirring this up...

Re: Mako 1xAAA: the most important flashlight i've ever owned

I guess I just don't get the fascination with reliability. Have many of you had modern decent branded flashlights poop out on you during critical times? I am a relatively young flashaholic experience wise, but haven't had any trouble.

I mean, if you are often in situations where you die if your flashlight dies, wouldn't you just carry a backup? The Mako light here uses the same emitter as the 1 dollar pinch-lights that many light companies throw in for free. So I'd think one could put a few of those on a keychain or where-ever to use in emergencies if your primary light dies.

I personally would have my 1x18650 variable brightness or flood to throw, or whatever features are desired with an efficient XM-L emiiter. Then carry my keychain light as a backup, be it a AAA, CR123, AA or whatever. Then maybe a few sealed-ziplock pinchey lights for good measure.

Re: Mako 1xAAA: the most important flashlight i've ever owned

...Have many of you had modern decent branded flashlights poop out on you during critical times?...

yes, many times. and i envy your luck. but the point being that if/when my hi-tech light fails, i will always have a Mako at hand because i can be sure of it.

...The Mako light here uses the same emitter as the 1 dollar pinch-lights that many light companies throw in for free....

oh really? i've yet to have a dollar-store light with a 5mm Cree. nor will any give 80 hours runtime. and i've too many $1 lights fail on me, so i don't trust them. nothing wrong with carrying lots of fauxtons, i do too, but i haven't found i can depend on them to function when needed most.

...if you are often in situations where you die if your flashlight dies, wouldn't you just carry a backup?

yes, multiple back-ups. and if one is a self-reliant kind of individual, shouldn't your emergency EDC light be the most reliable you can find?

...I personally would have...

and thats what makes the world go 'round. always use what personally makes you happy and secure.

Re: Mako 1xAAA: the most important flashlight i've ever owned

The Mako has the smoothest threads I've ever seen on a Ti light and smoother than many of the aluminum threads I've seen on others as well.

Do not make the mistake of assuming that all 5mm LEDs are made equal, because they are not. The Cree 5mm LED with the 60º beam pattern is one of the best out there, with a completely even tint, no color shift, and the whitest cool-white 5mm I've ever seen.

Additionally, like all of Enrique's lights, the Mako is designed to be the ultimate in reliability and runtime: it'll run for 60 hours on a single alkaline AAA on low or 20 hours on high. The Mako offers us some simplicity and elegance in a world dominated by frustrating multi-mode lights.

Re: Mako 1xAAA: the most important flashlight i've ever owned

nfetterly: would love to get my hands on a warm-tint Mako. scout24 has posted pixs of his. sweet!

carrot: well said! and yes, the original Mako sold for $115 plus shipping, and the Mako 60 (flood version) was more than that i believe.

but in researching this idea, all indications are that manufacturing and material costs have gone up quite a bit, so putting a maximum of $150 for a new limited-run Mako Flood didn't seem too out of line today.

Re: Mako 1xAAA: the most important flashlight i've ever owned

Originally Posted by coyote

carrot: well said! and yes, the original Mako sold for $115 plus shipping, but in researching this idea, all indications are that manufacturing and material costs have gone up quite a bit, so putting a maximum of $150 for a new limited-run Mako Flood didn't seem too out of line today.

I agree. $150 does seem reasonable to get such a great light. I always felt the original Mako was underpriced.

Re: Mako 1xAAA: the most important flashlight i've ever owned

with genuine interest and absolutely no intention of starting an argument, can I ask what weaknesses in the design or construction of the Peak Eiger would make it less reliable than the Mako (single mode notwithstanding)?

A poor man can only afford to buy the best, once.
Six sigma- even high reliability means a system designed to produce three failures out of every million iterations...

Re: Mako 1xAAA: the most important flashlight i've ever owned

Most of the time I have a more powerful 2xAA flashlight with me, but my LedLenser P3 on my keychain that I always carry is being used most of the time, I will probably get a Fenix LD01 or E01 for the smaller size. Except for trips, hikes, I never had the situation in a when I needed a brighter light than the P3's 15 lumens in a normal day.

Few months earlier there was a power outage at around 9pm it was complete dark, ironically, I put all my flashlight and my keychain on the 1st floor, and I was on the 2nd floor... So I had to made my way downstairs in complete dark. Since then, I bought a bunch of Energizer LED flashlight and put it in every corner of my house.

Re: Mako 1xAAA: the most important flashlight i've ever owned

I'd be in for a 60 degree Mako. I still have my original and it is a unique light that gets some nightstand time at my house. I like the two low settings. For navigating around my house and property at night, it's plenty bright for my typical uses.

I'd love for him to give another go at the Zephyr. That looked like a cool light and I even ponied up for a pre-pay, but there just wasn't enough interest for him to go ahead with the build. The timing was bad (economy in a free fall) and I don't recall how much time he allowed for the pre-pay before he terminated the project. It's unfortunate that it never came to fruition, but it happens. I'd be in (again) for a Zephyr to go along with a new 60 deg Mako.

Re: Mako 1xAAA: the most important flashlight i've ever owned

I would also like to have a light like this but I couldn't afford something at that price, especially for a backup light so now i've settled for the Fenix E01 for my ultimate backup light. EDC 4 lights everyday and I doubt I will end up using the E01. Same setup goest when Mt Hiking or climbing. The E01 as my most reliable light is reserved for the ultimate emergency.
Mako 1xAAA is a must have if you could afford one.

Re: Mako 1xAAA: the most important flashlight i've ever owned

Coyote- You got my one and only 60deg... Sorry if I led you to believe I had two. My only other is the warm 15deg. with the steelwooled emitter. These are great little lights, and another small run would probably go quickly. It strikes me as one of those lights that one either gets or doesn't. It needs some in-hand time actually being used in the DARK to appreciate that the output on low is completely adequate, and high just gives that little bit more punch. I'll tempt some flame here, and absolutely no disrespect to anyone intended, but the Killer and Sapphire both came out around the same time, and I feel not everyone appreciated the lower output for a similar price, despite the design differences and the two levels of the Mako. I've owned all three, and they are all so well made it's not funny, but the two stage Mako finally kicked my last Sapphire off my keys a few months ago.

Looking for a Crosshairs Surefire C2. Please PM if you can help me out. Thanks!

Re: Mako 1xAAA: the most important flashlight i've ever owned

Originally Posted by Incidentalist

I'd be in for a 60 degree Mako. ....
I'd love for him to give another go at the Zephyr. ....

That might be interesting! I think that was the light I was actually thinking of that just seemed to appear when there were too many forces against it. It might make more sense for him to produce this light at this time as I think the low mode was expected to match the runtime of the Mako according to early documentation. Although the Mako now has some long term experience behind it so it might be the safer bet. In general day-to-day usage I would only need my keychain light to have 1 output level, but I have found the multiple levels on the LD01-SS to be quite useful. I think 2 or 3 levels can be very useful on an emergency light, even though it does seem to complicate things and possibly affect reliability. If your main light craps out outdoors sometimes the higher output level on keychain lights is really useful, in some cases I think it could be essential. I like to use even my backup keychain light so I know it is in good working order all the time, I carry an extra AAA cell for real emergencies.

Is it time for an official poll, or maybe coyote needs to contact Muyshondt to see if there is a real possibility. I do think more people now can appreciate a good quality, reliable keychain light, but the price point is still a sensitive issue.

Re: Mako 1xAAA: the most important flashlight i've ever owned

I know there are FIVE, yes, FIVE Mako 60º*out there in the world. I am aware of two of them here in NY, one in my friend's possession and one in my own. Coyote has another... where are the other two???

Re: Mako 1xAAA: the most important flashlight i've ever owned

Originally Posted by notrefined

with genuine interest and absolutely no intention of starting an argument, can I ask what weaknesses in the design or construction of the Peak Eiger would make it less reliable than the Mako (single mode notwithstanding)?

Both lights are in a league of their own, and close in reliability. I have both, and find these differences:
* all peak lights are difficult to twist by one hand - okay, using one for a long time does loosen up the threads, but even then the twist action is not smooth. only brass is smoother, but heavy.
* peak ti light (eiger, I believe) has a smooth body and is not available in knurled versions
* knurling on all eigers (HAIII) is not aggressive, SS version is better, but then heavier.

I find none of these drawbacks (well, for a backup light in emergency) with Mako - light weight, smooth threads, and reasonable grip makes it an ideal candidate.

Re: Mako 1xAAA: the most important flashlight i've ever owned

scout24 said:...Coyote- You got my one and only 60deg... Sorry if I led you to believe I had two....

oh my, now i do feel a bit guilty. your one and only? damn. thank you. that was extremely kind of you scout24. i feel very privileged being its new caretaker.

and your other comments were nicely stated. you're 100% correct with your assessment that with lights like the Mako "one either gets or doesn't" and that the Mako's extra low out-puts (lower even than the Sapphire and Killer) is perfect for true darkness. after my extensive testing of those three titanium models in particular, i chose the Mako and eventually sold the others.

carrrot said:...I know there are FIVE, yes, FIVE Mako 60º*out there in the world. I am aware of two of them here in NY, one in my friend's possession and one in my own. Coyote has another... where are the other two???

"calling two missing Mako 60 owners, please step forward!"

choombak said:...I find none of these drawbacks (well, for a backup light in emergency) with Mako - light weight, smooth threads, and reasonable grip makes it an ideal candidate.

thanks for handling notrefined's question. i never owned a Peak so couldn't compare the two.